In Memoriam: Megaupload (2005 - 2012)

Yesterday, one of our favorite file sharing sites was struck by a government takedown around the early portions of the morning.

It was swift, it was brutal and it could have been blamed on Kim Kardashian.

Losing MegaUpload was a giant blow to musicians who love uploading zip or rar files of their music for potential download. A giant blow to perverts who now can't access MegaPorn for high quality downloads of their favorite "stars" getting it on. A shot in the gut to those who don't have cable access and used MegaVideo to stream the last episodes of Entourage, How To Make It In America or Community when Hulu wasn't being a dick.

But fret not bootleggers and file-sharers of America, we have shed tears like this before. Remember when the feds and Lars Ulrich shut down Napster back in the day? KaZaA took its place. Then Bearshare, then Limewire. They all wound up dying horrible internet and government related deaths but fear not my brothers and sisters, some other site will rise up to replace Megaupload.

All we need now is Alan Jackson to come in with a "Where Were You" tribute song. Like, "Ladder To Heaven" only 'net related and produced by Swizz Beatz.

You can shed a tear for site founder Kim Dotcom but shed more tears for the fact your archive of Boy Meets World probably can't be accessed again, that your subscription just to get quicker, direct downloads was cancelled without your knowledge.

If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.

SHOW ME HOW

Newsletters

SUCCESS!

You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!

It could be a blessing or it could be a painful reminder that when the government finds out a guy who essentially makes the same beat owns something, it gets pissed.

At least now knowing that Swizz of all people was behind one of the largest online do-everything labels is a bit comforting. He ducked that government indictment the same way he ducks his ex-wife these days but it's cool. We may find out who owns Hulkshare Records or Mediafire Entertainment now and our minds may be blown even more.

Soon, we may openly remise about all the things we've ever shared or downloaded from MegaUpload, how we wanted to avoid viruses all in the name of that beautiful high speed download. How we possibly got so much out of an annoying captcha screen. Then we'll close the tabs on our laptops or computers and move onto another file sharing site just to get over it.

We may bury MegaUpload but its memory will live on. You had a glorious run old boy but once the identity of your CEO was revealed and slipped past every music journalist in existence, the curtain had to close.

Brandon Caldwell has been writing about music and news for the Houston Press since 2011. His work has also appeared in Complex, Noisey, the Village Voice & more.